Category: Reading »

Zachy the Robot: Quest for the Museum Treasures is a terrific interactive app that delves into different topics of natural history in a way that is sure to captivate children and their adults.

This is the second Zachy the Robot app. This one takes place again in Robocity, focusing on a group of robot friends, the Robocity Repairbots, who help their town with their problems, as their wheelhouse is fixing structural issues in buildings, as seen in the first app which focused on engineering.

Here, the gang is brought back to add exhibits to the newly built and empty Robocity Natural History Museum, explained in the bright, colorful and fun animated intro. I love how excited these characters are by the topic of natural history - an enthusiasm that parents will hope rubs off on their children.

Three sections are included, as the gang collect fossils, minerals and dinosaur bones to be later displayed in this museum.

The Fossils section begins with a map showing ten dig sites to choose from to search for relics. After choosing a site to work in, one will then use a chisel to dig under the ground to find buried fossils.

Once the treasures are dug up, a matching section is to be completed as index fossils are explored and the newly dug treasures are matched to boxes of previously dated fossils - though not yet unpacked.

Next is a maze area through which one needs to help a robot move in the museum with the exhibit - a space crowded with clutter and other objects not yet unpacked which creates the maze and the obstacles that one needs to navigate with the tilting of the iPad.

Once users are past the maze, the fossil is placed in the exhibit, and more is learned about what has been found. As other fossils are collected, do look back at this area of the app of Invertebrate Fossils ranging from both the Paleozoic and Mesozoic Eras.

In the mineral area, a list of minerals one can choose from is offered to the user, and once a choice is made, a map will show the different areas of the world where this mineral is sourced, sometimes including more than one location that one needs to explore in this content-rich educational app.

To source these materials, one must complete a simple logic puzzle that uses different minerals to complete the correct pattern. After the minerals are sourced, the mayor of Robocity appears to tell the workers that he needs various supplies for the city that are manufactured with the mineral in question, teaching children the practical uses for what was found, such as drill bits from diamonds, or zinc for sunblock.

Because of this, children will then need to sort mineral pieces for the museum worthy for showing as well as the more industrial samples and waste rocks that need to be discarded.

A nice animated section explains how the raw material is sent to a factory to ultimately be transformed into a useful product.

It is worth noting that both minerals and elements are included, sectioned accordingly in an area that saves the found materials to be read about later - a great resource to read to oneself.

The dinosaur exhibit section is just as interesting, allowing children to choose a dig site from a world map, dig for fossils as well as put these bones back together in a puzzle activity. Also included is a dinosaur-viewing screen allowing children to see with animation what the dino in question may have looked like when alive many years ago.

I really appreciate how the background seen at all the various dig sites from each of these three sections includes a specific scenic backdrop as well as related music that teaches a little about each area of the world visited - a nice touch, to be sure.

There is a vast amount of information for children to explore in this app developed in association with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, giving children many hours of science fun that parents will feel great about.

This is the second Zachy the Robot developed, and I can say we have enjoyed both apps very much. I can count the first app, Episode 1: the learning tower of robocity, on the short list of applications that my son often re-visits long after having been released. For a while now, he has been asking me when a second app would be available, and I can say that it has definitely been worth the wait.

I hope more apps from this series will be developed in the future as well because they are uniformly bright and colorful, both quite fun as well as highly educational, worthy for use in both home and in educational settings.

Happy Easter, Little Critter is a lovely interactive storybook - a nice title for Easter that includes optional child-read narration and the ability to tap to see and hear objects labeled accordingly.

This is a simple story starring Little Critter, his family and friends as they spend the day doing Easter activities. I always enjoy these Little Critter titles developed by OceanHouse Media as Little Critter is a relatable character for children, here waking up early to see if the Easter bunny has come to his house, starting Easter Sunday with all the festivities.

It makes me smile that Little Critter is not a fan of getting dressed up to go to church the way his sister is or how he finds it difficult to see over the large Easter hats that the ladies seated in front of him are wearing - real-world complaints of this generally good-natured child-like anthropomorphized animal.

I enjoy how this app also spends time exploring secular activities such as a picnic, Easter egg-dyeing and an egg hunt that can be enjoyed by children who don’t specifically celebrate the religious aspects of this holiday, but who may have a more general knowledge of Easter.

Because two of our local Easter activities were snowed out recently, it is nice to be able to search for the 100 Easter eggs hidden among these pages, especially during the scenes of this story relating to the egg hunt that Little Critter goes on - a nice touch - as is the ability to search for the friendly mouse hidden in each picture as well.

I also greatly appreciate the included details of this Easter egg hunt, such as too many children fighting over eggs, overlooking an egg until it is too late and found by another child, or helping a young child find eggs who found none on her own - issues that those may face during an egg hunt, making this a nice story to read - possibly before Easter so that boys and girls will know what to expect and how to act in these situations.

Jubitron the Girl Robot: The Lovely Little Picnic is a charming universal, interactive storybook.

As the name may imply, this is the story of Jubitron, a robot girl and her friends Little Birdy and Mr. Alligator as they go on a picnic that gets rained out and then fly high into the air on a space ship to see where the rain is coming from.

At first, before the gang in the story experience their rained-out picnic, I thought this story was cute, if not a little simple for my taste, but I really enjoy their time spent up in space discovering where all the rain came from, adding whimsy and a sense of style that also reminds me of Poyoco, a favorite TV show of ours.

This is high praise, to be sure, as this app ventures into the realm of quirky mythology that I really enjoy, as I do the included narration which also reminds me of the unseen narrator from Poyoco - an element which effectively works within this app as well.

This app is nicely illustrated and music is also included, upbeat and fun, as is the included music well as other musical elements found within the interactions that will entertain both young children as well as their adults.

I like that hints can be found if one opens the tap found at the bottom corner of the page. It would be nice if there were an option for this added information to be narrated as well.

I do think Jubitron the Girl Robot: The Lovely Little Picnic is best suited for babies, toddlers and young preschoolers, but also for their parents who will admire the sophistication this app has to offer as all of the elements - the plot, illustrations, narration and music as well as interactions - are of a very high caliber.

This is a creative tale that in turn may stimulate the imagination of the young children listening to this story. For this reason, it is easy to recommend Jubitron the Girl Robot: The Lovely Little Picnic.

Nursery Rhymes with StoryTime is a lovely universal application that brings classic nursery rhymes to devices, now with delightful interactive features.

I really appreciate the look of this app, as the style used is certainly vintage in appearance, creating an interesting dichotomy as children can tap to create movement among the characters and objects around the screen as well as move the words around the page which will be of interest to those interested in graphic design as well.

Traditional tales include Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty and The Three Blind Mice, each with interactive elements and whimsical details oftentimes with the use of a physics engine which allows children to toss objects around the screen.

Also included is the spinning of certain details, such as the Three Blind Mice running in circles that reminds me of the details one may see in a Victorian Arcade, allowing children to use this period technology with the swipe of a finger - interesting elements adults may enjoy more than their children.

It is also worth noting that the three blind mice do get their tails cut off with a knife as an included interaction - a moment I enjoyed - yet I can see this detail not being a favorite among some families.

This app contains narration allowing children to listen to these short rhymes themselves and parents will enjoy the fine details included such as the use of texture found among these pages that include paper art, de-saturated hues and distressing that add even more period charm to this app.

I do love the way this app merges the period look with technology - something I have seen done well before, but oftentimes without narration - unlike this app.

For these reasons and more, Nursery Rhymes with StoryTime is worth checking out, allowing children to obtain a foundation in nursery rhymes that many families have forgotten about, also including fun and creative interactions that will keep modern kids engaged.

I am delighted to inform readers that a new app in the ABC series by Peapod Labs has been released - ABC Farm.

This series has a long list of titles, from ABC Music to ABC Food, that each teach children about different themed objects with the use of photos, videos, interactions and narrated fun facts, also incorporating the use of the alphabet to organize these words into a menu for easy access to favorite words.

This new app, ABC Farm, includes a wonderful new element, as this app is now bi-lingual as Spanish can be heard with the tap of a button - not only the word of focus spoken in either Spanish or English, but the narrated information section as well, which includes the text one can also read along with.

I think this is a wonderful inclusion, as this app can now be enjoyed by both English and Spanish speaking children, but also children new to learning either of these languages.

ABC Farm like the others in this series, opens up with a menu page of each of the 26 letters and their corresponding words. To use, simply tap on a word of interest to be brought to a section that includes a terrific use of multi media and interactivity.

The top left of the screen includes a window that when tapped will bring children to the interactive section of this app, as they swipe a finger across the screen to see related changes, such as helping out at an orchard removing apples from trees, building a well or opening a beehive. Excellent before and after pictures are used as part of this interaction which have a lot of fun with.

More photos are seen as the main image of these pages. Do scroll between these page to see all the related images - always professional in terms of quality, bright, colorful and rich with details.

If one has internet access while exploring this app, also note the windows found amoung these other pages that contain educational videos as well, which themselves contain a great wealth of information. I really appreciate how each of these pages also contains thoughtfully written facts delivered as narrated text, exploring these topics in a way that is sophisticated yet accessible by children.

Users will also note the word of focus is spelled out at the bottom of the screen with letters, each helped by a “little explorer” which can also be tapped to explore other words that start with the same corresponding letter.

As parents know, there are a multitude of apps in iTunes that relate to farms, oftentimes relating the same basic information. Because of this, I am especially happy to announce the unique words included within ABC Farm, such as “udder,” “incubator,” “ irrigation,” or “silo.”

Although I expected as much from PeaPod Labs as I know the creative words used in other apps, I was greatly impressed with the use of Spanish in this app, as I thought it would be a nice idea to include a few Spanish words. I was not expecting the additional facts, narrative prompts and menu to be fully integrated with Spanish as well.

It is obvious how much work has gone into this app, and although I have always thought adults and older children would get a great deal from these apps, this Spanish addition makes this a great app for English or Spanish learners of any age.

I have been familiar with this series of apps for some time now, and I am greatly impressed by how this series has expanded its content to include narration with the included facts as well as interactions - options not available for their first apps. I also admire Peapod Labs for having great updates that add more content sometimes greatly, not just “mild bug fixes” common among other apps.

I am eager to see if there will be other apps within this series, as they are uniformly educational, thorough and fun.

Dandelion is an interactive universal app with a wonderful sense of style, developed as an app with a message about bullying.

There is a lot that I enjoy about this app, recently chosen as an application of special interest in the books category by iTunes.

The most striking element of this app is the sense of style, shown not quite in black and white, as more of a sepia-tone look is included, adding the slightly warmer shades of subtle desaturated browns - an interesting choice - which allows areas of the screen to pop softly, adding a vintage, almost timeless look to this app that is also quite modern-looking as seen on the screen of one’s device.

Likewise, the illustrations and simple, animated moments are gorgeous to look at as are the intriguing characters, especially that of the main character Benjamin, drawn without a face and who seems to glow from the backlit device. These images are beautiful and will stay with readers for a long time, especially the ability to blow fluff off a dandelion - lovely to explore, to be sure.

Very good narration is also included if one wishes, and I enjoy how this app and the page turns are styled to look like one is looking through a view finder, including a 3D effect that one can see when moving one’s device, as well as an artful use of mild distressing which adds a bit of texture as well.

This is the story about how Benjamin is being bullied by boys from The School for The Misguided - what to me is presumably a reformatory of sorts, “A place for Ne’er Do Wells and Bullies.” However, it is unclear to me if this is the school that he attends or has to pass by on the way to his own school.

As only one school is noted in this story, I will assume that Benjamin attends The School for The Misguided, and this is an element that I have a hard time getting past. How could this child be thrown into such an institution where he will obviously be eaten alive, as he is less than half the size of the other students and a sensitive soul who would not fare well in this environment?

It is worth noting that Benjamin is not just being teased, he is being physically harmed, needing to tend to wounds. Because of all this, while blowing on dandelions, he begins to make wishes for the school to disappear, which never happens, but he learns from these dandelions how to let go of his fears and and gain confidence.

I find many of the elements of this app quite moving, such as the included music and imagery.

I do find the actual story, written in rhyme, to be underwhelming. yet if one wants to take away from this tale a sense of confidence and a lack of being afraid, this I welcome them to do so.

For me, it may have worked better if the main character were dealing with a different sort of bully, more subtle in the approach, such as an outsider girl dealing with “mean girls,” who could possibly rise above the mental daggers thrown her way, but if one is being physically harmed by dangerous teens with one foot in jail, confidence will go only so far.

I have no doubt that the chance to blow the dandelion fluff as well as the mythology of Benjamin making his wishes will be moving to anyone reading or listening to this story, but with the setup included here, more than inner confidence is needed to deal with the situation as it has been written, leading me to struggle to understand the message of this application.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for iPad is Random House Digital’s app based on the classic children’s book of the same name.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a favorite story of mine, and I do enjoy how this app includes a very nice picture book section with excellent narration as well as wonderfully rich and stylized illustrations containing mild yet effective interactions and moody, atmospheric music. These slightly animated illustrations are also found within the unabridged version of this book - a nice touch.

I enjoy the storybook section, as although adapted from the longer version, this storybook includes many of the details and nuances found in the original book, making this section not overly simplistic - a very nice primer for children new to these Oz titles.

The narration is top-notch, and I enjoy following along with the highlighted text. I do find the elements of narration, illustrations and music to be perfectly realized, but it is to my great disappointment that not all of the 24 chapters of this story are illustrated, including the scene when Dorothy first encounters the poppies - a favorite moment of mine from childhood, as well as a missed opportunity to show these flowers in their grand colors with their sedating abilities.

Likewise, within the adapted version, I found the telling of the second half of the journey - after Dorothy misses her ride home on the hot air balloon and the gang needs to go in search of the Good Witch of the South - to be rushed in its re-telling. It also does not include chapter 20, The Dainty China Country - my true favorite chapter of the story as a child, where Dorothy and the others venture into a world of fragile characters made of china - another missed opportunity to have users break these china characters with a tap. I also would have wished this adapted version to go into better details about the Hammer-Head characters also met among these chapters - briefly mentioned without being named.

Although I did find the lack of an illustration for every chapter in this book to be a disappointment, as the unabridged section is also without these same illustrations, I am quite enamored with the pictures that are included - wonderful artwork that adds a sophistication to this story which I enjoy, maintaining the darker tone from the original story for a slightly older child - something that is sometimes sanitized in other re-tellings. Also nice is the inclusion of the forward written by author L. Frank Baum as well as a map to show the four different lands of Oz, a nice touch.

Although I would certainly prefer for each of these chapters to be represented by illustrations, this app is still quite enjoyable, especially to listen to the shorter storybook being read, and for this reason, even with the nagging omissions included, this is an app that I can recommend, especially to those who are not Oz purists who would certainly be disappointed by the lack of illustrations per each chapter and the overly abridged second half of this epic tale.

The Adventures of Sophie the Sweater is a gem of an app, an interactive storybook which allows children to make choices that will affect the direction this tale takes, as this is the story of Sophie, a sweater who experiences many different lives with a varied group of people as they re-use and re-cycle her into other garments, craft ideas or other objects which illustrate how to use her material.

I did enjoy a great deal the Choose Your Own Adventure or Which Way books as a child, and I have begun to read these titles to my son as well. I do love this app as I think it brings an intuitiveness to these kinds of books, as my son can get confused as to why I am asking him questions while reading him these types of stories.

Children first meet Sophie in a shop and is then bought by an individual, one in a long line of people who will have an influence on Sophie’s life as they wear, share, and re-purpose her.

I admire how the majority of these characters are very much real people who work with Sophie in ways that are practical to their lives, reminding me of independent movies such as Twenty Bucks or even Crash, as although this story is kept light and fun, the plots revolve around an object that works its way through multiple subplots, as well as the intertwining of some of the characters that children will notice in different ways throughout these story lines. This is a subtle way of making the world seem smaller as well as the theme of no-waste and re-using of materials.

The first decision one needs to make is who first walks through the doors of the shop to buy Sophie. Choices include Fiona, a mother or “punky Meg” styled with the sides of her head shakes and piercings. I especially enjoy Meg’s character - a personality that is not often seen in children’s apps, who creates a studded vest that she makes out of Sophie, who at first is weary of this transformation but enjoys her new look.

There is a multitude of whimsical tangents that include other characters worthy of an ensemble cast as well as a few anthropomorphic animals. I did not mind the presence of a magician - not really an everyman but still a working man of sorts, but I had mixed feelings about the prince and princess found in a castle, possessing bad attitudes and feeling entitled enough to try to fake illnesses, also using Sophie to create a rope to “escape” their situation of a boring royal commitment. Although I kind of enjoy the fantasy that has brought Sophie to the castle, these characters pull me away from the realism of the other people met, from the homeless people thankful for clothing to wear to the small child fashioning Sophie into doll clothing or other creative objects. It is however possible that readers are not supposed to like these specific characters - an interesting choice.

Even with this note, I wholeheartedly recommend The Adventures of Sophie the Sweater. All the elements are top form, from the excellent optional narration to colorful and stylized illustrations to the 24 different options that one can choose from - great for re-reading.

It is worth noting that past the decision making, there is little to no other interactions to be found. I am actually happy for this choice on the part of the developers as I am now finding many apps that are littered with hot spots more distracting than helpful, and I am very glad this app does not fall into this pitfall in any way.

I also admire how this app can be so educational in terms of the environmental theme of conservation and re-use, getting the message home in a way that is not preachy.

I have never been one to throw away anything remotely re-useable, as there are charitable donation sites around our city that we take advantage of, so I was moved when it came time to possibly choose tossing Sophie into the trash - a choice that I had a hard time making, but did for testing purposes. I hope this message follows children with them as they too make choices like the ones seen in this book.

The only thing I would love to see in addition would be a menu of pages, not only to this story, but also highlighting the areas where decisions are made, making it easy for children to go back and change their mind as well as to seek out the different possibilities also included within this story.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this app by Gro Play. I sincerely hope that more apps with this same ability to select different outcomes will be developed in the future.

Fey Mouse is an interactive picture book based on the title of the same name, developed by Blue Quoll as the first in their series of Australian Vintage Picture Books, adapting out-of-print titles and making them accessible to children from around the world.

Fey Mouse is the story of a cat born into a mouse family, misunderstood by distant relatives and living in the shadow of their successful lives.

The illustrations are simply gorgeous to look at with an effective use of presumable zooming and panning of the original illustrations, lush with tactile details such as Fey Mouse’s pink fur as well as a fun, jazzy score played throughout this app.

Although charming and rich with nuance, I can’t help but think this beautiful story is a little sad as Fey Mouse has from birth been labeled as ”strange” and is the black sheep in this famous family of mice. Each relative has an interesting back story that Fey Mouse does not fit into, including how Fey Mouse is sprayed with mouse perfume that her mother invented to cover up her “catty” smell.

I can imagine children asking why the family members were allowed to be mean to Fey Mouse, and it will be up to the parents to create their own explanation, yet I did find it moving as her beloved mouse parents held their child and tearfully said it was time for Fey Mouse to leave the family in order to make a life for herself, which Fey Mouse does, finding a place among other cats, and changing her name to something more appropriate.

Narration is included by this book's author Hazel Edwards, and although she is not a professional voice actor, Edwards brings a lot of nuance to her reading about this cat and her melancholy family situation. I also appreciate how even while reading this app to oneself, the paragraphs can be tapped to hear a nice inclusion for new readers.

Sound effects are included as well as added lines of dialogue - both spoken as well as seen as speak bubbles found with a tap of these characters.

This inclusion has both moments of added richness such as hearing Fey Mouse purr as well as times that this interactivity becomes problematic as the added dialogue or sounds can sometimes overlap the narration as well as being distracting. The rock star mouse who sings “This isn’t love” as part of a song lyric and the sounds of the instruments being played may be enjoyed by some while others may find them loud - especially in the context of this gentle tale.

Even having said this, Fey Mouse is a lovely story written with sophistication and illustrated with great beauty and detail. I am glad this book has been given a new life as an app for iPad, allowing children who otherwise would never have heard of Fey Mouse to do so.

I look forward to new Blue Quoll apps in the future, be it from the series of re-told fairy tales or as new Australian Vintage Picture Books as well.

Sofia the First: Story Theatre is a delightful, interactive app based on the children’s animated series on Disney Junior.

We are not familiar with Sofia the First in our home so I did not have any expectations about this book. I am happy to say that I am very pleasantly surprised with what this app has to offer.

The plot of this story is both very traditional but also has a modern sensibility to it as this tale opens up with Sofia’s mom marrying into a royal family. In this blended family, at first Sofia feels very out of place by becoming newly royal as well as not being treated very well by her new siblings - especially her step-sister.

I enjoy how well the characters for this tale are written, in first person from Sofia’s point of view as well as the very effective animated moments one can find by tapping on the included illustrations delivered with a lot of polish, effectively pantomiming both the actions as well as emotions being described - often silently and never in a way that is remotely distracting.

I also enjoy the tie-in with the fairies from Sleeping Beauty as well as Cinderella, which did not seem forced in any way.

Although I did have to raise an eyebrow when Cinderella explains how she should have given her own step-sisters a second chance, I admire how the concept of forgiveness is included as well as the step-sister explaining her motivation for being mean in the form of an apology that children can also learn from, creating a moment I did not expect.

Some details involving magic are included that one would expect from a story involving a fantasy such as this, this is a relatable tale that young girls - especially those from blended families - can relate to.

I throughout this app have appreciate how music and sound effects are included in this story yet can be muted separately from the narration - a nice touch. Auto play is also an option, as is the ability to read this book by oneself. I do think, however, that one should be able to turn back a page if so desired - not possible at this time.

One can use the menu to find a previous page if needed, but the ability to swipe or arrow tap to forward the pages should work in reverse as well.

A puppet show is also included allowing one to choose characters, background props and music. Move these characters around the screen recording the sounds and movements of these elements in action for a nice effect.

I have seen a few puppet shows such as this, and I am happy with the ease in which one can have a character or prop enter and leave the scene - gameplay one can take for granted until interacting with an app that makes this basic function difficult - fortunately not an issue here.

It is worth noting that this section, styled as if using paper puppets, does not allow one to resize or have these puppets turn to each other to engage in dialogue, but consists of cutely drawn images both polished and low tech in the way one would expect paper puppets to be for a very nice effect.

My son is not much into princesses so it is doubtful that Sofia the First will be a show we gravitate towards, but I do recommend this app to families who have princess children, and I from what I have seen that this TV series is worth checking out as well - especially as Sofia does not have the terrible sense of entitlement often seen in other princess stories.

I Need My Monster is an interactive storybook app based on the children’s book of the same name, now also including a few extras such as a memory-styled matching game and a “Simon” styled mini-game.

I know this title well, as I Need My Monster is a story that is often read out loud at our local library’s story time, and when borrowing this book, the pages are worn from being enjoyed by many children.

This is the story of a boy who instead of being afraid of monsters, desperately needs one - a really scary one - to be able to sleep. Unfortunately, his monster takes some time off, leaving the boy to find a new monster under his bed that will do the job. New monsters come and go, never filling the shoes of the original, scary creature under the boy’s bed.

This is a faithful adaptation of this popular story, with the same text as well as included illustrations altered somewhat to fit the iPad, also containing mild animation and hot spots.

Narration is included, yet I am not completely sold on the woman who provides the narration, as this is a tale told in the first person, from the point-of-view of the main character who is a boy. Because of this, I wish a child voice actor were included, as I can think of a few times a child was used in a storybook application to a great effect.

I do like how a male actor sometimes provides the voice for some of these monsters, yet I did not understand the choice of having the monster character “Ralph,” a dapper, well-groomed monster, voiced by a woman with a presumably British-like accent. Instead, I would have preferred a male, more genteel-sounding voice reminiscent of Kelsey Grammer or David Hyde Pierce because the voice included does not relate in any way to the character created, which to me distracting.

Some very effect interactive moments are included that work quite well within this story, especially a scene with a monster scraping her nails across the screen - a moment new to the story not found in the printed book.

Also nicely included is the ability to add the reader's name to this app as within the printed copy, the sign “Ethan’s Room” which can be seen on the bedroom wall, can now include any name. There are a few hot spots within this app, however, that I thought were not necessary, such as being able to tap some objects in the boy’s room, making sounds that drown out the narration.

Even with these notes, this is a terrific story that differs so wonderfully from the traditional fears children have of creatures under their beds. It is worth noting that here, the boy professes that boy monsters are for boys, and girl monsters are for girls - a moment that for me is cringeworthy yet rings true in the way children at this age may think. This detail aside, this is still a creative story with vivid illustrations.

Alphabet Animals: A Slide-and-Peek Adventure is a very nice adaptation of the title by the same name, now developed for iPad by Auryn Apps.

Alphabet Animals: A Slide-and-Peek Adventure is a book we are familiar with from our local library, as each letter of the alphabet is represented by an animal posed to represent each letter corresponding to the first letter of its name.

In the book, a page can be slid out that labels the animal and the letter it is emulating - such as “A” for alligator or “B” for bird.

Such is the same here, yet in this app, a drag of a finger will pull out the tab, and with a tap clear, well-spoken children’s narration speaks the animal and letter names as well.

Interesting fantasy animals are included such as “Dragon” and “Unicorn” as well as Newt for “N” or Xenops, a small bird for letter X. They are interesting choices, yet I do wonder if babies completely green to the alphabet will mistake “X” for letter “B” for bird. Likewise, I was hard-pressed to see the “T” in the tiger illustration.

Also new to this title is how each animal includes minor animated elements, subtle but effective, as each “tab” is pulled - details not possible in the published book and which add extra richness to this experience.

I do think it would be a nice touch to have the names of these animals labeled with words as shown in the published book to allow parents to point to the word as the narration is heard, but this is a minor note in a bright and colorful children’s app.

Although I do not expect this app to take the place of children exploring unique flap books such as this, I do appreciate that these tabs can’t be torn when reading this book in digital form, as my son was really hard on books such as this as a toddler, making this a nice choice for other young children who may have difficulty with these slider pages.

I would also like to point out to readers that to celebrate National Reading Month, Auryn's National Reading Month Giveaway will be making an app for each day in March free to download.

This is a huge boon to families, schools and other practitioners who will benefit from adding to their digital library.

From what I have seen, Auryn’s apps, although varied in terms of style, are uniformly high in terms of quality and are each quite desirable to share with children. Please checkout their library of apps in iTunes.

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins is the second children’s book written by Dr. Seuss, first published in 1938. Now to celebrate the 75th anniversary of this app, this story has been adapted into a universal app by Oceanhouse Media.

Although this title may be less known, I think it is an important story to make note of as this is a tale written in prose instead of the heavy rhyming that Dr. Seuss is known for.

I honestly did not enjoy the typical Seussian style of writing as most kids did, as I viewed books that rhymed much the same as how I viewed musicals - that of style getting in the way of the storytelling.

Because of this, I am very happy that The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, along with other titles such as Yertle the Turtle, Gertrude McFuzz, or The Big Brag, - stories heavy with narrative - have been turned into applications as well.

Meet Bartholomew Cubbins, a farmer boy who while taking a trip to the market has an unfortunate run-in with the King of Didd who demands that Bartholomew take off his hat as a sign of respect. The child complies, but an odd thing happens. Once his hat is removed, a new hat re-appears over and over again much to the dismay of the king, who brings the boy to his castle and tries everything one can think of to remove the hat from Cubbins - from consults with a tailor to magicians and even threats of violence.

Nothing helps until 500 hats have been removed, with the last few changing into wonderfully ornamented hats that the king becomes smitten with, offering to buy them for a handsome price as this story, rich with tangents, ends on a happy note.

As is typical with Dr. Seuss adaptations by Oceanhouse Media, this app can be read by oneself or listened with to grand narration, here spoken by my favorite voice actor, John Bell, who does a stand-out job adding different voices to each character met, bringing a richness to this story that makes this app and others like it so very enjoyable for me to listen to.

Another new option to users is the ability to create their own narrations that can in turn be added to other devices or shared with friends and family who also have access to this application.

Options also include the ability to be able to turn off the wonderful ambient sound effects or word highlighting.

One will notice how the illustrations, although obviously drawn by Dr. Seuss, are interestingly stark compared to his other works, using only black and white with red highlighting for the hats that are seen throughout these pages - an interesting choice.

Do tap on the characters and objects found within this story as they are nicely labeled with both narration and text yet never speaking over the narration - a detail I am fond of.

Written many decades ago, I think this story stands up quite well, yet there are a few moments where parents may raise an eyebrow. I doubt whether the threat of beheading would be taken literally by most children as these scenes are also filled with a sense of whimsy, keeping the threats fantasy-related.

I don’t really worry about my son being exposed to the idea of this child having his head cut off, as my son has been exposed to this kind of imaginative violence through Grimms Fairytales and he is no worse for wear, but later in this story there is another boy who wants very much to push the main character to his death - a threat that bothered me more than the beheading, as well as a reference to an actual spanking of the other boy in this tale - an issue I have had with other books including those from my childhood which I thought were safe until re-reading them as an adult.

Parents themselves will need to decide if they are comfortable with these elements for their families.

I am grateful to Oceanhouse Media that by developing this story into an application, this tale may be enjoyed by children who may not have been otherwise exposed to this Dr. Seuss story. I look forward to reading more about the King of Didd and Bartholomew in Bartholomew and the Oobleck - another children's book adapted to application, available in the future.

I would also like to let readers know that through March 7th, Oceanhouse Media is celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2, with a sale on Dr. Seuss apps through March 7th - a great time to add these classic titles to one’s library of storybook applications. They are all worth purchasing.

Just Going to the Dentist - Little Critter is an adaptation of the title of the same name - part of the Little Critter series of storybooks now available in application form.

As the name may imply, this is the story of the Little Critter’s trip to the dentist. In this world, Little Critter is an anthropomorphic animal - a little boy who has been found to be relatable to by children for many years.

While reading about this trip to the dentist, I enjoy how some of this visit mirrors the experience my son has had while going to the dentist as well, such as the waiting room filled with toys and books, making my son desire to go to his bi-yearly appointment.

I am also glad to see Little Critter go back to the exam room to have his checkup on his own - something my son is now expected to do, which at first was stressful for both him and for myself.

Adults may note how some of the details included, such as the use of a spit sink or the archaic-looking x-ray machine might seem dated by many of today's standards, but this is by far an adult concern and I am happy that Little Critter is wearing a protective apron before the image is taken.

It is important to mention that in this story, a cavity is found on the x-ray, which needs to be filled. A syringe is seen right before Little Critter is being numbed for the drilling that can be heard faintly as an ambient sound.

Parents may have mixed feelings about this detail of the app, some believing that cavities and needles may be too scary for children in preparation for their first visit. Others, especially those with a history of cavities in older siblings or other family members, may feel the need to bring up the topic of cavities as Little Critter is a champ through this process - a good role model who does not fuss during the procedure, yet discusses the odd sensation of numbness - possibly helping children to be aware yet not afraid.

I do think that telling Little Critter that he will not feel anything during this procedure is a bit disingenuous as the needle is felt even if the drilling is not. Therefore, I do wish that the poke was mentioned if this book feels the need to include the filling of a cavity. This explanation, however, may make for wordiness in a way that these titles are not known for.

Personally, I could do without the lollypop offered after the filing - even if it is labeled “sugar-free,” but this is a book worth discussing because parents, I am sure, may want a book which brings up the topic of dentists and even cavities to prepare their children.

Like other books developed by Oceanhouse Media, Just Going to the Dentist includes narration, a mode allowing one to read this book by oneself, as well as Auto play, allowing one to enjoy this book being read by the delightful child voice actor as with the pages turn automatically in Auto Play.

Do tap on the illustrations as object are labeled with narration and text, adding more details to what can be found in an dentists office, such as x-rays or a light box, but I did wish this app would go into even further details instead of labeling many items as just "dentist equipment"

New to this app is the ability to record one’s own voice, download this recording onto any device, as well as sharing personal narrations with others who have access to this app as well.

The text is also highlighted when read - always a nice touch, as is the ability to tap a word to hear it spoken individually.

As is the case of the other Little Critter apps, one can find Spiders and Frogs hidden among these pages, seen as well in the original printed versions that now are included as a simple and sweet added hidden picture mini-game. These original illustrations are also shown with zooming and panning of these pages to draw the reader's eye.

Although this story may not suit the needs of all families who are looking for a story about visiting the dentist, other parents may appreciate how Little Critter handled himself during this visit as a way to prepare their children.

Snow Queen by the developers at Timecode is a very nice adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen story of the same name - a lengthy tale traditionally told over seven stories.

I am impressed by how this app also is broken into seven stories to create a thorough version of this classic story - nice to see as many times the Snow Queen is abridged, and oftentimes without the back story of how the magic mirror, which makes all things beautiful look ugly, is produced here by a goblin. It is this mirror, when broken, also negatively affects the people who get imbedded by these shards, making them see and feel as though everything around them is ugly as well.

This is a favorite story of mine as a child, as the idea of being manipulated this way by parts of a broken mirror affected me a great deal, and I am glad to have access to a version that is not shortened or watered down for children, as this version can also be enjoyed by adults, including Andersen fans who have certain expectations from adaptations of his work.

Effective narration is included which I have enjoyed listening to. Although the text is read a little quickly, I don’t believe that this narration is hard to understand or to follow as the sentences are highlighted - a nice touch that differs from the word-for-word highlighting that some books include.

Illustrations are also included - hand-painted and lush with details. It is worth noting that although a smaller illustration is included on the top of each page of text, a beautiful, full page illustration is found after ever page or two, making this not primarily a picture book but a very nice version of this story for an older child who can sit and listen for a good length of time.

Interactions are activites also included adding some fun yet minimal sounds and animations to the illustrations. I appreciate how a hint button is included showing where to tap to find hotspots or how to interact in different ways that children will enjoy, but are not the main selling point of this application.

Parents of older grade school children will be happy to introduce the Show Queen via this application, be it listening to the narration, reading this book out loud themselves, or by children reading this tale to themselves.

I do wish, however, that a table of contents were available in case a family does not have time to complete all seven stories, and it is unfortunate that if this app is closed, the space where readers left off is not saved. Because of this, it is good to know that this app, if left running on the iPad, will open to the page currently being read.

Although I recommend this app now as very nice storytelling, complete with beautiful artwork and lovely background music, being able to bookmark a page as well as a table of contents would be worthwhile inclusions for a future update.